In response to Chinese Premier WEN Jiabao?¯s announcement made at the Opening Ceremony of the Fourth Ministerial Meeting of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Sharm El-Sheikh on November 8, 2009, the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People?¯s Republic of China (MOST) launched the China-Africa Science and Technology Partnership Program (CASTEP) to further enhance cooperation and exchanges in science and technology (S&T) between China and Africa. CASTEP aims at developing a new type of S&T partnership between China and African countries, sharing China?¯s experiences and achievements in S&T development and facilitating African countries in building up their S&T capacity.

As one of the major actions under the CASTEP framework, MOST has initiated the Action of Equipment Donation to African Researchers, by means of which research equipment worth RMB150,000 per person will be donated to outstanding African researchers in China. The role of the Action of Equipment Donation to African Researchers is to improve their research conditions and make it possible for them to continue their research work back in their home countries. The Action will also contribute to further development of the S&T cooperation and the traditional friendship between China and Africa.

1. The applicant shall meet the following requirements:
Current postdoctoral researcher in China or visiting scholar with a working period of over one year in China;
Research in the fields of natural sciences;
Having employment contract with the research institution or institution of higher education in his/her home country and promising to work in the institution for at least one year after the delivery of the equipment;
Having practical plan for the returning to his/her home country in the year of application.

2. Other requirements for the applicant and the receiving institution of the equipment:
The receiving institution of the equipment (hereafter ?°the receiving institution?±) refers to the research institution or institution of higher education in which the applicant returns to work in his/her home country.
The equipment applied shall be closely associated to the research projects carried out in China and to the ones to be carried out in the receiving institution by the applicant.
The equipment granted is the property of the receiving institution on arrival. The equipment shall remain at the receiving institution in case of the applicant?¯s leave or retire. The sale of the equipment is prohibited. The applicant and the receiving institution shall assure that the equipment is appropriately identified as donation of the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People?¯s Republic of China.

MOST shall ship the equipment to the designated seaport (or airport) and cover the transportation cost. The receiving institution shall cover any other cost such as the customs duties, costs of installation, necessary consumable materials, repair and maintenance of the equipment, etc.. The receiving institution shall take responsibility to ensure that the equipment is installed and operated properly.

3??Documents needed for the application:
Application form with the following information: applicant?¯s curriculum vitae, description of applicant?¯s current professional occupation in China, description of the proposed research projects to be carried out back in his/her home country, description of the role of the equipment applied, detailed list of the equipment applied, etc.;
Recommendation form from the Chinese research institution or institution of higher education in which the applicant is currently working. The recommendation form is an integral part of the application documents;
Confirmation by the receiving institution on the necessity of the equipment with regard to the institution?¯s research projects, and the guarantee to cover the related costs and responsibilities. The confirmation is an integral annex to the application form;
Personal statement signed by the applicant declaring that he agrees to submit a detailed report on the use of equipment within one year upon receiving it. The statement is an integral annex to the application form.

4. Procedure
The applications are called from 1st January to 31st March each year.
The applicant shall submit electronic and original copies of complete application form and recommendation form with the annexes. The application form and recommendation form can be downloaded at www.cistc.gov.cn, or www.cstec.org.cn. Please check the updated version in case of any revision of the documents.
The applications which are overdue, incomplete or with false information will not be accepted.
All the applications will be reviewed by MOST, and the qualified recipients will be identified before 1st June each year.

5. Contacts
Ms. Jiang nan 
Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) of China
Tel:  86-10-58881345
Fax: 86-10-58881344
Email: hzs_yfc@most.cn
Address: 15B, Fuxing Road, Beijing, P.R. China
Zip Code:100862